Will Pakistan Use New U.S. Military Gear Against Terrorists?
It’s not the easiest time for the troubled U.S.-Pakistan relationship. But the Obama administration is hoping it can smooth over the latest rough patch with a classic American balm: military aid. How much of that aid will be used against insurgents and terrorists is an open question. According to the New York Times, when Pakistani government officials arrive in Washington for a parley beginning tomorrow, they’ll be greeted with a fresh offer of military hardware — possibly totaling as much as $2 billion over the next five years. That’s likely to include night-vision goggles, helicopter spare parts and other gear suited for the counterinsurgency missions the U.S. wants the Pakistani military to perform against al-Qaeda and its allies. An anonymous U.S. official told CNN that the weapons “can’t be diverted to other threats,” principally India, Pakistan’s typical foe. But Pakistan’s heard that before. Since 9/11, Pakistan’s gotten lots of big-ticket items from the U.S. military under the
